The City Hall building will be closed to the general public on Fridays from June 6, 2025 through August 29, 2025. San Rafael Community Centers, Libraries, Al Boro Parking Services, and all Public Safety services will remain open and maintain normal Friday hours.
Newsroom
Stay up-to-date on what is happening in San Rafael. Sign-up to receive notifications via e-mail on news, events, and City Council meeting highlights.
On August 17, 2020, the San Rafael Police Department brought proposed changes to the Use of Force Policy (Policy 300 of the Police Procedural Manual) to the City Council. The City Council voted unanimously to accept these changes. Here are a few highlights of the changes: Police Chief Diana Bishop wrote her first Chief’s Preface to the Police Procedural Manual This preface...
The San Rafael Library has curated a list of recommended books, websites, movies, podcasts, and videos that explore issues surrounding race and social equity. Communities across the U.S. are finally waking up to systemic racism against BIPOC, and in particular anti-Black racism. More than ever, white people and other allies are showing up, listening and...
At the June 15, 2020 City Council meeting, City Manager Jim Schutz and Chief of Police Diana Bishop made comments about racial justice. Watch this video to see their full remarks. Full transcript: City Manager Jim Schutz Thank you Mayor and Council. As you know, this is the time on our agenda when I typically...
From your Mayor & City Council We stand with everyone in our community and across the nation against systemic racism. Enough is enough. Our communities are demanding change that is deserved and past due. It’s time for all leaders to listen and do more to support our black community. And we won’t stop there. We...
The Dominican Sisters of San Rafael have had an unparalleled impact on the community in the areas of education, social justice and health care. For more than 100 years, the Sisters have provided uncompromising leadership in the community through their extensive education mission at Dominican University, The Garden School, San Domenico School, and the Osher...
Jeff Craemer is a long-time resident of San Rafael who is well known for his community and civic involvement. As a San Rafael Fire Foundation Board Member and a Marin History Museum advocate, Jeff has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy into making San Rafael a great place to live and work. In...
Andy Bachich is a long-time resident of and business owner in San Rafael who is well known for his entrepreneurship, as well as his community and civic involvement. As a San Rafael High School student, Andy started with a good, hard-work ethic and a love for the San Rafael community. In 2006, the days were...
Tamra Peters & Bill Carney's commitment and passion for San Rafael's future is unwavering. Tamra & Bill have devoted countless hours to help educate and advocate for a more sustainable San Rafael community and planet. They have volunteered an estimated 60 hours per week to the San Rafael community, benefiting our parks, open space and numerous City committees and...
David Haydon's dedication and passion for the San Rafael community is authentic and tireless. He founded II Davide Restaurant, 20 years ago, and built a successful business through challenging economic times. In addition to running one of the top restaurants in San Rafael and indeed Marin County, he strives to give back to the San Rafael...
Diane Henderson is a Marin County native and a 25 -year resident of San Rafael who is well known for her volunteer work and civic involvement in the community. While known to be a passionate resident, Diane has had a "quiet touch" in her involvement with and contribution to many of the City's most respected...
Hugo Landecker is a 45 -year resident of San Rafael that is well known for his community activism and passion for protecting San Rafael neighborhoods. As a long-standing resident of Gerstle Park, in 1973, Hugo helped form the Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association so that neighbors could work in a unified way with the City of...
Patricia (Pat) Kendall is a long-time resident of San Rafael well known for her community and civic involvement. Trained as an emergency room nurse, Pat's community service began 35 years ago when she participated in the formation of Marin County's "911 Paramedic Program." Through these many years, Pat has continued to support this program as...
For more than 4 decades, Albert J. Boro served his community tirelessly, with distinction and unmistakable flair. From 1971 until his retirement in 2011, Al spent 16 years on the San Rafael Planning Commission, 4 years on the City Council, finally graduating to Mayor in 1991. He was consistently listed as one of the "top...
Carolyn Lenert has been selected as the Citizen of the Year due to her community involvement. Carolyn is a well-known community builder and leader. Carolyn has provided an effective presence as a key representative to the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents and as President of the Santa Margarita Neighborhood Association. Carolyn has contributed countless hours coordinating outreach, sharing resources...
Margie Belrose has been selected as the recipient of the Citizen of the Year award due to her lifelong accomplishments in promoting a vibrant presence of the theatre, entertainment and education in Downtown San Rafael. Margie's community contributions began in 1954 when she and her husband David opened their business to teach students the art...
Phyllis & Max Thelen have been selected as the Citizens of the Year award due to their community involvements and accomplishments promoting arts, culture and education. The Thelen’s community contributions began in 1963 with their founding of Marin Ballet which, over the years, has trained thousands of Marin children in ballet and dance arts. They...
Patty Garbarino has been selected as the Citizen of the Year award due to her community involvement. Patty is a life-long resident of San Rafael and graduate of San Rafael High School and Dominican University. Her Community service has long been tenured and broad, including being a program manager for Project Workability, matching special education...
Man Mihn Phan has been selected as the recipient of the Citizen of the Year award due to his community involvement. He served in the South Vietnam-Arm, fighting alongside American forces, and spent six years in a communist prison camp after the war. Man and his wife have been residents of San Rafael for over...
Lionel Ashcroft has been selected as the recipient of the Citizen of the Year award due to his community involvement. He and his family have been residents of San Rafael for forty years, and Lionel has devoted much of his fife to the research, documentation and sharing of San Rafael's history as an author, teacher,...
Pam Dixon has been selected as the recipient of the Citizen of the Year award due to her community involvement and support of the San Rafael Library. Pam has been a resident of San Rafael for thirty years, and has been actively involved with the Friends of the Library for eleven years, including service as...
Dorothy Vesecky has been selected as the recipient of the Citizen of the Year award due to her community involvement and accomplishments in the areas of community building, recreation and social equity. Dorothy has been a resident of the Canal neighborhood since 1985, and has been Chairperson of the Pickleweed Advisory Board since 1999, fostering...
Sandy Greenblat has been selected as a recipient of the Citizen of the Year due to his community involvement and accomplishments in the areas of community planning, culture and arts, recreation and environmental protection. Sandy has been a resident of San Rafael for 12 years, and has promoted community planning and economic vitality through his...
The Richard P. O'Brien Citizen of the year Award is intended to acknowledge residents of San Rafael who, through their dedicated and selfless efforts, have had a significant effect on the quality of life in their community. Sue Beittel has been selected as the first recipient of this award due to her community involvement and...
